Private equity firm buys railway ground engineer Aspin

Aaron Morby 6 years ago
Share

Hertfordshire-based ground engineering specialist Aspin Group is targeting major expansion after being bought by a US private firm.

Russell Ward, who joined Aspin a year ago as CEO, will remain at the helm
Russell Ward, who joined Aspin a year ago as CEO, will remain at the helm

Private equity firm Sandton Capital Partners sealed the deal last month and aims to grow the £40m turnover business by 50% by 2020.

Aspin is the UK market leader in the design and construction of piled foundations for the rail sector, primarily used for supporting overhead line equipment and signalling structures.

The sale has prompted a shake-up in the management team. Russell Ward continues as chief executive with Iain Sale brought in as chief financial officer and Paul Oyekanmi as commercial director.

Ward was appointed to run the business a year ago by Lloyds bank owned LDC Private Equity, as part of a £25m deal which saw it take a minority stake in the firm.

“This new investment and secure funding from our new equity partners who have extensive experience in the engineering sector, provides the ideal platform for the next significant stages of the company’s planned development,” said Ward.

“We’re delighted to secure the support of Sandton Capital Partners. The resulting secure financial base is critical in future-proofing our ambitious plans for the business. It is a significant vote of confidence in the commitment and dedication of the whole Aspin team working as one to deliver more of what our clients want. It’s a win-win for us and our clients,” he said.

Among other senior executive changes Martin Truman becomes delivery director, Damon Marii-Metuarii is construction director and Lee Healey is technical services director.

Aspin operates across the UK, employing 240 staff, with its head office in Hemel Hempstead supported by other centres in the Midlands, the north and Scotland.

The group primary company Aspin Foundations was established in 2000 and grew both organically and through two strategic acquisitions. Sheet piling company, McGrattan, was acquired in 2013, followed by Rogers Structural Investigations in 2014, bringing on-site infrastructure inspection and testing services for the rail and highways markets to Aspin’s portfolio.

Its work for Network Rail and Highways England and major infrastructure contractors includes four key areas which have been classified as the ‘four pillars’. These are engineered solutions, consulting and design, foundations and piling and inspections and investigations.

Matt Meehan of Sandton Capital Partners said: “Aspin is already a leading name in the sector. Our plan is to make it even better and we’re very pleased to be involved at such an exciting phase as the firm leverages its solid base to achieve future success.”

Latest news

Morgan Sindall to build former Willmott Dixon leisure job

New contractor appointed on
15 hours ago

Graham consortium wins £400m Manchester job

Equitix consortium to now work up DBFO plans for University of Manchester’s Fallowfield Campus
12 hours ago

Keltbray looking to sell infrastructure business

£378m turnover rail, energy and highways business up for sale
22 hours ago

Innovative viaduct building method used for first time in UK

HS2 contractors will build nine viaducts in Delta Junction using special cantilevered process
23 hours ago

Unite buys London site to fast-track 444-bed student scheme

£800m to be spent on London development pipeline in next five years
23 hours ago

CITB awards £2.5m of contracts to management consultant

Three outsourced deals in the last year for "project leadership and management consultancy"
23 hours ago

Village centre approved for 6,000-home new town plan

Hampshire's Welborne Garden Village plan has been in the pipeline for two decades.
22 hours ago

£3m fine after cherry picker demolition death

Court rules after tragedy during decommissioning of gas rig
23 hours ago

BAM plans wave of job cuts at UK Construction arm

Co-op Live arena plunges Bam Construction to £19.5m first-half loss
2 days ago

Robot tunnel builder goes into administration

Hypertunnel was hoping to revolutionise how underground structures are built
2 days ago

Wates to build £86m Guildford Council housing scheme

40% of the 248 homes will become council homes under partnership deal
2 days ago

“Scrap CITB” say three quarters of construction firms

Payroll giant Hudson Contract calls for CITB to be absorbed into new Skills England training body
2 days ago

£100m Prestwich Village revival approved

Vinci and Willmott Dixon in chase for Muse-led regeneration scheme
2 days ago

Carbon negative asphalt aggregate trialled on M11

Skanska and Tarmac test CO2 absorbing aggregate material on stretch of Essex motorway
2 days ago

Father and son sentenced over covid construction loan fraud

Bristol builders given suspended jail sentences over bogus Bounce Back Loans
2 days ago

Beck Interiors files administration notice

Supply chain has suffered delayed payments from £139m-turnover luxury fit out specialist
3 days ago

Green light for York Central civil service office hub

£60m office project accelerates York Central goods yard redevelopment
3 days ago

Blenheim House Construction enters administration

Administrators looking at options on present projects
3 days ago

Profits rise at Esh Group with more to come

Contractor confident about year ahead as market conditions move in right direction
3 days ago

Piling specialist Van Elle sees housing orders rise 30%

Mark Cutler says firm on course to deliver 10% annual sales growth
3 days ago

HS2 to spend £100m shutting sites where work never started

Remediation of sites no longer needed for cancelled Phase 2 will take three years
4 days ago

Willmott Dixon wins £61m deal for new Army dog unit

Contractor to revamp Kendrew Barracks in Rutland
3 days ago

Stockport advances 4,000-home Town Centre East plan

Council seeks consultants to steer plan for 280-acre area in the city
3 days ago

ISG sale imminent as buyers set-up UK holding company

South African nutrition entrepreneur and Australian partner primed to take over
4 days ago

CR Construction wins £210m Manchester towers

Construction to start next year on four blocks ranging from nine to 34-storeys
4 days ago

Southern Housing to rationalise supply chain following merger

Firms put on alert for £1.7bn construction framework renewal
4 days ago

Decision delayed on 52-storey Isle of Dogs tower

Hong Kong developer plans 460 flats block next to Millwall Inner Dock
4 days ago

Go-ahead for £850m North London estate rebuild

Flagship Edmonton housing estate redevelopment will deliver 2,000 new homes
4 days ago

Mace lands £184m Oxford Science Park contract

Contractor to build trio of laboratory and office buildings
5 days ago

Worker paralysed in 30ft fall during electricity pylon demolition

Specialist firm fined £240,000 after court hears linesman attached lanyard to a loosened steel section
4 days ago

Contractor services